Case Number 03042

FRIDAY AFTER NEXT

The Charge

"It ain't ya booty, it's ya beauty."

Opening Statement

I'm a white guy, a very white guy; I'm the epitome of white. When I try to
use hip words like fly, fresh, flavor, word, dope, or def, I just come across as
a really stupid white guy, much like Eminem. Though I've casually known a few
black people in my days, I can't say I've really ever had a close black friend.
I've never had the opportunity to learn of their culture first-hand. Living in
Cincinnati, well, if you watch the news you know...

Over time, I've never seen a "black film." Movies like Jungle
Fever, All About the Benjamins, Malcolm X, New Jack
City, or Boyz N the Hood have never been my flavor. I guess I always
figured that this little white boy wouldn't truly appreciate a film from that
genre, I'm not part of that culture, so most of it would fly over my head; I
just wouldn't get it. That was my exact thought when Friday After Next
appeared in my mailbox. How the devil was this slice of white bread supposed to
watch and review this movie? I'm so outside the box, I'm practically lost.
Besides, this is the third film in the franchise, so that's going to make my
viewing experience all the more difficult.

Imagine my utter surprise when I watched this movie, laughed, and found the
thing so good, I wanted to go slap my momma...I mean go out and rent the other
two films. Though worried I wouldn't "get it," Ice Cube and D.J. Pooh
wrote a movie that easily transcends any inferred color lines so that even this
cracker did "get it."

It's all good.

Facts of the Case

I'm not a rent-a-cop. I'm Top Flight Security, Craig.

T'was the early Friday morning before Christmas and all through the hood,
not a creature was stirring except the project Santa Claus trying to rip off
Craig (Ice Cube, Boyz N The Hood, All About the Benjamins,
Barbershop) and his cousin Day-Day (Mike Epps, Bait, How
High). Wakened by the odd sounds in his apartment at three in the morning,
Craig finds himself face to face with a thief dressed in a ratty old Santa suit,
eating a big ass ham sandwich, robbing his place. A fight ensues between the
two, all the while Day-Day sleeps blissfully unaware of the mayhem in the other
room. Santa overpowers Craig and makes off with their CD collection, all the
presents, and the stereo speaker that hid the rent money.

Of course, the rent is due today and Ms. Pearly (Bebe Drake, House
Party, Boomerang) is tired of those two boys putting off the payment.
She's on them and she wants her money today and doesn't care if they were jacked
during the night. Craig, the more rational of the two, can't convince Pearly to
give them some more time; Day-Day, the more impulsive of the two, can't help but
mouth off to Pearly, only making her angrier. Unfortunately for the cousins,
Pearly's boy Damon has just been released from prison after a nice twelve-year
stay. If she doesn't get her rent today, somebody's gonna get their salad tossed
tonight!

As Craig and Day-Day live in the projects, officers Alvin Hole and Brian Dix
finally show up about six hours later and are less than responsive to the boys'
pleas. Making matters worse, the boys happen to enjoy smoking a little weed and
the cops find their marijuana plant in the apartment. Luckily, the cops decided
only to "confiscate" the plant and not arrest them. While Craig
wonders how they are going to get rent money, Day-Day ponders how they are going
to be able to have their Christmas Eve party tonight when their place is
trashed.

Fortunately, the boys are starting work today as security officers at a
strip mall. In that mall, the boys' fathers run a little restaurant called Bros.
Bar-B-Que. Mr. Jones and Uncle Elroy were able to get their boys hired after the
last two guards...decided not to return. Although it's just his first day, Craig
hopes to ask their boss, Mr. Moly, for a week's advance on their pay so they can
get Pearly off their back. The strip mall is in the hood, so it's not going to
be easy, especially since Moly won't give them anything more than a whistle, of
which Officers A. Hole and B. Dix ignore as they chow on some of the donuts from
the fly-infested "Holy Moly's Donuts." Craig knows his limitations and
just wants to relax and make it home for Christmas in one piece, but that's not
close to Day-Day's plan. Given a sliver of authority, Day-Day gets power happy
and begins to harass and harangue anyone that seems even slightly out of line.
Now, Craig not only has to survive the day, but he has to put up with and try to
control his cousin. Along the way, Craig is able to find a few moments of solace
when he talks with the fine Donna, the girlfriend of Money Mike, the owner of
the new clothing store "Pimps 'n 'Hos."

Will Craig and Day-Day survive another Friday? Will they be any good at
their jobs? Can they get an advance on their pay and turn in the rent money? Is
there going to be a party tonight? Why is Donna with Money Mike? Is someone's
salad gonna get tossed?

The Evidence

I can't attest to the entirety of the Friday franchise, but if this
third movie is any indicator of its predecessors, this series could easily rival
the biggest comedies out there. In all honesty, I can't recall the last time I
saw a film that was so consistently funny, so filled with great and memorable
characters, and was so fresh and original. Friday After Next is a film
that has been overlooked, no doubt for reasons that were similar to mine. But
once again the old adage is proven: don't judge a book by its cover. If not for
this screener, I would have never watched this film and would have missed a
great movie. I'm very confident that this film could have been a hundred million
dollar franchise if only it weren't an urban film. Then again, if it weren't,
it'd probably be as dull and recycled as the rest of the mainstream comedies out
there. Perhaps you think I'm just a little high right now? A little juiced by
stumbling across a new film? There's always that slight possibility, yet I know
it's more than that. As this title is an Infinifilm release, I needed to watch
it four times to review all the bonus materials. At the end of the fourth
viewing in as many days, I was still laughing and enjoying the experience. How
many films can survive that rigorous of a test?

My biggest fear had been that I wouldn't be able to relate to the film, that
"black humor" would be too different from "white humor" and
I'd be lost and bored silly -- please pardon my naïveté, and general
ignorance. And then I watched it, laughed, and had a great time, but then my
brain began to wonder if this was truly a black film or if it had diluted itself
into the mainstream. There is a second commentary track with four of the actors
from the film. As I listened to it, it became quite obvious that this film was
still "black" and very funny to them as well as me. It hadn't gone
mainstream; it was a film that was still true to its roots yet totally appealing
to a wider audience than it was probably intended -- the sign of excellent
filmmaking.

There are a many facets that come together well to make this movie work.
Everything from the direction, to the actors, to the characters, to the script,
to the spot on music wonderfully combines to entertain the audience. Marcus
Raboy, first-time director (as are all the directors in the series), had worked
with Cube (not only a rapper and an actor, but also a writer and producer as
well) on many music videos. Their comfort level allowed Raboy to pace the film
successfully with a pleasant direction, which is nothing spectacular yet still
gives the film a solid, polished feel. The actors, many of whom are franchise
regulars in addition to being stand-up comedians, are fantastic and absolutely
nail their characters -- no matter how outlandish they may be. And that's a key
to the success of the film. Each character is developed and immediately likable,
regardless if he's a little pimp, a beefed up thug, or an overzealous remedial.
If the characters weren't as energetic and over-the-top, then you wouldn't find
yourself absorbed by their hijinks.

Something else that's unexpectedly funny about all this is the fact that the
movie was given the Infinifilm treatment. Why? How did a film that pulled in
about $33 million in domestic receipts get tapped for this super-loaded release?
I'm not going to quibble too much, but it is something of an enigma.

With an Infinifilm, I'm expecting top of the line video and audio transfers;
perhaps even reference quality. Sadly, that is not the case with the video here.
The anamorphic widescreen is surprisingly bad for such a new release on this
label. On top of an overall soft and grainy print, there's some artifacting,
moiré shimmering, and haloing. It's very disappointing and unacceptable.
The colors, though, are richly represented with a vibrant palette. Happily, the
audio choices are more akin to what one would expect. You can choose from a 6.0
DTS track or a 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and either of them will give you a
thumpin' experience. Dialogue is very clear from the centers, surrounds are used
effectively, and the bass really kicks -- especially during the great musical
cues by John Murphy.

Of course, we all know the Infinifilm pours on the extras in huge
quantities, and it's no exception here. Here's a brief rundown on what you'll
find on this loaded disc:

* Audio Commentary with Director Marcus Raboy, Producer Mark Alvarez, and
Ice Cube: While Raboy and Alvarez were recorded together, separate comments by
Cube are spliced in. As it progresses, the commentary ends up being dominated by
Cube, which is fine as he imparts a great deal of fun information about his
movie. * Audio Commentary with Cast Members Anna Maria Horsford, K.D.
Aubert, Katt Williams, and Terry Crews: Though it starts off a bit slowly and
unsteadily, this track quickly picks up the pace and becomes a great listen. The
four of them are having a great time as they dish a little dirt, tell some
stories, and just relate how cool it was to be a part of the film. As this was
my third viewing, I was amazed that they were able to point out things I had yet
to notice. * Infinifilm Trivia Track: Combining slivers of all the
remaining material, this track runs at the bottom of your screen, popping up
every couple of minutes asking you to hit enter on your remote if you want to
see more information related to that scene in the film. Being a relative newbie
to Infinifilm, I did not realize that everything in this track is taken from
other supplements. Hence, it really isn't necessary to use this track if you
watch everything else. Besides, it then won't take three hours to watch the
film. * Microphone Fiend -- From Stage to Screen (12.5 minutes): As much
of the cast came from stand-up, this feature spends some time exploring how
comedians hone their craft on stage, which often gets them noticed and onto the
big screen. It also shows some footage from a show by Katt Williams (Money
Mike). This is one of the duller features. * It Was A Good Day -- Behind
the Friday Franchise (10 minutes): An informative look at the success of
the series and how it has progressed, yet remained the same, over the years. * Ghetto Fabulous -- Costume Design Documentary (6.5 minutes): A feature for
the "pimpily challenged," you'll learn how to be your own pimp and be
unique and stylin' for all your 'hos. * The Pork Report (10 minutes): An
amusing feature that gives a quick rundown on the various types of bar-b-que
you'll find around the country. While North Carolinians prefer a vinegar-based
sauce and claim that to be the secret of their success, a Texan will say it's
all in the wood and sauce is of no import. Funny and surprisingly
enlightening. * Hump Day -- Production Documentary (17 minutes): A
modestly thorough overview on the whole process of putting this film together,
from script to screen. * Holiday in the Hood -- Production Design
Documentary (9 minutes): This feature mainly focuses on finding a strip mall and
the steps taken to transform it as needed for the film. * Deleted Scenes:
There are nine additional scenes you can view here. While some of simply
extended sequences, there are many others that expand the mayhem of the day.
Also included is the original "tearful" ending sequence that was
smartly axed in favor of the revised ending. * Gag Reel (7 minutes): It's
your typical compilation of bloopers and excerpts, which are not as funny as I
would have expected. * Teaser and Theatrical Trailers for Friday After
Next * Music Video: "It's the Holidaze" * Easter
Egg

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Put down the b-b-b-b-bar-b-que.

My only minor quibble, and I do mean this is a very minor nitpick, concerns
the acceptance of smoking pot. I've heard that the other Fridays have a
far stronger focus on weed, so I'm happy to see that it has been toned down
greatly here. Yes, it's my prudish opinion that this sort of behavior should
never be glamorized. However, by my reckoning, the few scenes where it's shown
are presented in such a way that the focus is more on the people and not on the
drugs, and it's done so in a very funny way.

Closing Statement

Man down. Pimp in distress!

A wonderfully fresh experience, viewing Friday After Next was
immensely enjoyable: the characters are great, their circumstances are
hilarious, and the various interactions are witty. I truly am glad to have been
given this film, and I am going to seek out the first two. Hopefully I'll become
a fan of the entire series, for at this time, I'd be happy to see a fourth film
come out with these great characters. Therefore, I vigorously recommend at least
a rental of the disc. A funny story loaded with tons of bonus materials, the DVD
will give you hours of enjoyment. Though marred by a video transfer that is
bordering on unacceptable, I'll still further recommend adding Friday After
Next to your collection. If comedy is your thing, then look no further.

The Verdict

You can lead a 'ho to water, but you can't make her think.

New Line is found guilty for releasing this film with a video so bad, make
you wanna slap their momma. They are hereby sentenced to one week's work as Top
Flight Security guards at Moly's Plaza.

All other parties are acquitted of any charges for their work in this fly
comedy.